


Black Flowers

by thesunalsosets



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, CSA implied, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Gang Violence, Gangs, M/M, Orphans, Police, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Roommates, cerberus syndrome (hint), himeka is kinda ooc but in this universe she was put into the orphanage system instead, shes still blunt and thinks yahiro is pure af but she smiles more
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 13:58:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13905480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesunalsosets/pseuds/thesunalsosets
Summary: Yahiro is just trying to give his girlfriend flowers to make up for his recent absence when he misses the last train out of Ikebukuro and is stranded at the flower shop. When he first meets the green-haired owner of the shop he is suspicious of his intentions, but after getting to know him he realizes they have more in common than he thought.Black Books esque flower shop AU with a dark twist





	Black Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Don't do drugs, kids! 
> 
> (Even if 3/4 of the chapter came from me chain smoking cigarettes, which I never smoke...)
> 
> I stole like 3 lines right out of Black Books but doubt it's any copyright problem.
> 
>  
> 
> TPLO - Tokyo Public Law Office, Yahiro works there as a copywriter
> 
> Arare - soy-sauce flavored rice crackers, apparently great with Japanese beer

The only reason Yahiro had come to the unusual flower shop was because it was the only place close enough to his workplace that didn't close before he got out of work at half-past six. His curiosity was piqued slightly when he learned that it only opened a half an hour before he was released from his job.  
  
After graduating with a masters in business at a local university outside of Akita, Yahiro had become a salaryman, and the stress of having such a demanding job created strain on his relationship with his girlfriend.  
  
Yahiro worked in Ikebukuro at a company that seemed relatively sketchy, though the high salary seemed worth it to him. He had adapted to his schedule, but the three-plus hour commute had continued to push his partner apart from him.  
  
As Yahiro thought about how much time it would take to get back to Takasaki he stopped, staring at his destination. His mouth opened a tiny crack as he gaped at the flower shop.  
  
The exterior of the shop stood a sharp contrast from the rest of the street, black with golden lettering glinting with the light of lightpole opposite it. Half the inside of the windows stood various types of flowers in vases, obscuring the bottom five feet of the shop of the shop from inlookers. Yahiro instinctually thought of a coffin in the middle of a graveyard, but he shrugged the thought aside and proceeded into the shop.  
  
The inside of the shop was completely different, high ceilings and plenty of space. Towards the back of the room, rows of flowers grew in pots, extending to what looked to Yahiro like an outdoor greenhouse.  
  
The shop was empty, and Yahiro ignored it, wandering to the back of the room. He passed rows upon rows of enticing flowers, gazing at them all as he neared the exit of the greenhouse.  
  
Yahiro turned to his left, staring down at a white flower with rose-colored stamens.  
  
"Astrantia major, huh?" A voice came from behind him, and he turned around quickly to see a man with green learning towards him as if he was attempting to kiss him.  
  
Yahiro's palms planted on his assaulter's chest just as the man's lips touched his own, the man's tongue extending into his mouth. Yahiro pushed as hard as he could, forgetting how strong he was.  
  
The green haired man flew out of the greenhouse and collided with a chain link fence behind the greenhouse.  
  
"Fuck," Yahiro shouted, running towards his assaulter, making sure he wasn't dead. Yahiro got down on his knees and put two of his fingers together, pressing into the man's neck, checking for a pulse.  
  
"Let me guess, you're not DL dude," the man said sheepishly, brushing off Yahiro's hand and righting himself.  
  
"Sorry, happens all the time," he said, pushing himself onto his feet and brushing himself off. He eyed Yahiro, who was confused by what he had said and had no idea how to respond.  
  
"You're here for flowers, right?" The man said, smiling softly.  
  
"Who are you, anyways?" Yahiro said, eyeing the man in front of him. The person who had tried to kiss him was relatively short but also lanky, with dyed green hair and three ears piercings on his right ear.  
  
"I'm Kuon Kotonami, owner of Death's Etiquette," he said, and Yahiro barely stifled a laugh.  
  
"Death's Etiquette? How did you come up with that?" Yahiro said, getting increasingly aware of how much time he was spending here - he was supposed to be able to buy a bouquet quickly and catch the last train back to Takasaki.  
  
"You're the asshole buying something that will die in a week," Kuon smirked, walking towards the front. Yahiro looked downwards and sighed, starting to feel slightly annoyed.  
  
"So who's it for? Mother or girlfriend?" Kuon continued, looking away from Yahiro as he turned to stare at an aisle of hyacianths.  
  
"Girlfriend," Yahiro grumbled, looking up to see the flower salesman grabbing purple hydrangea and white lilies, tying them together with tape.  
  
"Occasion?" He replied, adding orange crocus to the bundle.  
  
"Disappointing her," he said, looking at the watch on his left hand and swore.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck - shit!" Yahiro said, running towards the exit of the door.  
  
"Seeyoutomorrowillgetit-" Yahiro shouted as his voice disappeared outside of Kuon's earshot.  
  
"Dongslinger420?" A husky male voice came from behind him, and he turned around to see a black-haired hunk wearing suspicious glasses.  
  
"Yeah," Kuon said, leading him to the upstairs flat and remarking to himselfthat the guy he had met before was much hotter.  
  
\--------------------  
  
Yahiro ran as fast as he could, his grey jacket billowing slightly in the cold wind. He grabbed his phone from his right pants pocket and turned it on, checking the time.  
  
6:40  
  
Yahiro swore under his breath, running faster. He had to get on the bus in 5 minutes and he didn't have a clue whether he would make it or not after having only recently moved from Saitama a few months ago.  
  
As he ran, he thought about the flowershop he left and the strange man who tried to kiss him. Yahiro tried to put that out of his mind, looking at his phone.  
  
6:43  
  
Yahiro yelped, and ran harder, his tendons feeling sore and tired. After another minute of straining, he reached the train station to see various trains departing around him, including the train that was supposed to bring him back to Takasaki.  
  
Sweating profusely and watery-eyed as he struggled to breathe in oxygen, Yahiro realized he was fucked.  
  
\--------------------  
  
"Kuon, get up," Himeka said in a steady but slightly menacing voice. She had walked in a minute before past a shirtless man as she entered the flowershop, and knew her adopted sibling would use his sluttiness as an excuse to not get drunk with her.  
  
"I'm tired," Kuon groaned, laying in a queen size bed with a yellow flower blanket covering his semi naked body.  
  
"I brought whiskey for you," she said, smiling grimly, "if you help me finish and categorize the wines."  
  
At the mention of whiskey, Kuon's eyes fluttered open, and he lifted his skinny body up to face her.  
  
"Do you actually enjoy drinking wine for a living anymore?" Kuon quipped, looking over in search of a shirt to cover his chest.  
  
"Don't even remind me," she said, her voice cold and almost robotic, as she bent over to pick up a pair of khaki shorts to toss to him.  
  
"Be downstairs in a sec," he said, and Himeka left the room, walking down the stairs that led outside and into the store.  
  
Kuon smirked, thinking about his sister, and clothed himself, wearing a gray tank top matching his eyes.  
  
Kuon turned to his nightstand and opened it up, removing a wooden box and a lighter. He pocketed both and shut the drawer, grabbing his apartment keys from ontop the nightstand and exiting the apartment with it locked behind him.  
  
As he descended the staircase adjacent to his store he thought about the guy he tried to kiss by accident. Kuon couldn't stop thinking about his patron's eyes, deeo blue, as if looking into them would be like stepping into a whirlpool.  
  
Kuon descended the last step, pushing with his forearm to open the door and step out into the front parking lot of his store.  
  
Outside it was dark, the last bit of the sun swallowed by the surrounding darkness of dusk and black clouds beating down rain against him. Kuon pushed the front door of the flower shop open.  
  
In front of Kuon was the man he kept thinking about, his brown hair plastered to his forehead, soaking with water.  
  
"You didn't tell me you met someone new," Himeka said, barely concealing a smirk as she took in Kuon's flustered reaction.  
  
"What's going on?" Kuon asked, looking between the two twice before giving his sister a distasteful look.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kotonami, I was trying catch a train but I was late and I don't know anywhere else to go, and – I guess I'm just... asking you if I can sleep with you tonight," Yahiro said, his cheeks pale in the light.  
  
"I can't do it," Kuon said, blushing slightly due to the wording, at the same time as Himeka said 'Sure'.

"Um...?" Kuon said, turning to his sister and flashing a look or confusion towards her.  
  
"Of course you can stay! You like wine, right?” Himeka asked Yahiro, smiling at him with a little too much enthusiasm for Yahiro's taste. He nodded, giving her a strained smile.  
  
“Come with me,” Kuon said, turning to Yahiro and motioning towards the back of the shop.  
  
“Get the wine glasses,” Kuon said, shooting her a grin as he led the handsome stranger soaked in rain to the back of his shop.  
  
The back half of the store contained a small garden inside a glass greenhouse filled with various forms of flora covering a tall wooden fence that hid the area on three sides, giving it a rather intimate feeling that was ironic considering its placement between five- and seven- story buildings that surrounded it, like an urban peninsula.  
  
Yahiro sat down in one of the many lawn chairs that littered the area and gazed up at the night sky, the orange glare of the night sky sickening him a tiny bit. He turned towards his accidental assaulter and stared at him as Kuon looked down towards his hands, making motions that Yahiro couldn't make out.  
  
"You work around here?" Kuon asked, raising his right hand to his lips, the lights strung about the fence revealing a joint in his hand.  
  
"Fifteen minutes away on foot, give or take. TPLO," he said, the tone of his voice sullen.  
  
"Ah," Kuon replied, raising a lighter to the end of the joint and inhaling. In the darkness, the contrast of his face to the surrounding darkness was quite beautiful, his amber eyes shimmering a bit.  
  
Yahiro blushed as he realized what he was thinking about, and was brought back to reality when Kuon grunted at him, holding the joint in his hand and nodding at him, smoke billowing out of his nostrils.  
  
Yahiro had never been a big fan of partying, but as if on instinct he grabbed it, the tips of his fingers slightly brushing Kuon's.  
  
"You a lawyer?" Kuon asked, reaching into his pants pocket to pull out a box of cigarettes. They lit up at the same time, Yahiro coughing loudly as smoke came out of his mouth. He shoved the lit joint towards Kuon, and he shook his head, inhaling his cigarette again.  
  
"Three hits," Kuon said, exhaling his smoke.  
  
"Are you intimidating our guest?" Himeka teased, handing him a bottle of wine and setting down three wine glasses on a rickety-looking coffeetable placed at the general center of the lawn chairs.  
  
"Your guest," Kuon responded sardonically.  
  
"Just saying that one tiny hit doesn't do anything," Kuon said, his voice sounding blithely pouty as he pulled a wine opener from his side pocket and began to uncork the wine.  
  
"I'll take it if you don't want it, though," Himeka said, smiling at Yahiro and grabbing the joint he passed it to her.  
  
"Are you two, like..." Yahiro said, tilting his head slightly. Both began to howl with laughter.  
  
"We're family," Kuon said, a sly grin on his face as he poured the wine into the glasses. Setting the bottle down, he handed Yahiro a glass and picked up his own, sipping it and wincing.  
  
"A bit harsh, sis," he said, taking another sip before setting it down.  
  
"I'll go see if we have anything else," Kuon said, getting up, but Himeka rose and grabbed his arm.  
  
"Finish what you have first, you baby!" She yelled, pulling him back.  
  
"But it's nasty," Kuon replied, pouting at her as he sat down. She smiled at him and gave him a look. He sat down, still pouting, and took a gulp of his wine.  
  
Yahiro stared at the scene unfolding before him in confusion and awe, taking a small sip and wincing before realizing it didn't taste bad and taking a larger sip.  
  
"What do you taste when you drink it?" Himeka asked, passing the joint to Kuon, who took it and responded with 'shit'.  
  
"I can taste some blackcurrant and violet, and maybe... cedar?" Kuon said, smelling the wine as he spoke.  
  
"It's a merlot from Nagano," Himeka said, taking a large gulp and finishing her glass.  
  
"I'll get the whiskey and lemon," she said, getting up and walking toward the front of the shop.

"She's a wine salesman," Kuon said, and Yahiro nodded, taking another sip and staring that the glass. He had started to feel buzzed, and he had to stifle a giggle as he looked at his would-be assailant, his green hair somehow glowing, highlighted by the darkness.  
  
"How did you become a flower salesman?" Yahiro asked, taking another sip of the wine before downing the rest of the glass.  
  
"Flowers are beautiful, yanno? More beautiful than much else in this shitty world," Kuon replied, taking a drag of his cigarette, and Yahiro nodded, the wine making him blush.  
  
"Whiskey!" Himeka shouted, making Kuon grin excitedly.  
  
"Fuck yeah," Kuon said, gulping down the rest of his wine. Himeka walked forward and handed the bottle to Kuon, who poured it into his wine glass and handed the bottle go Kuon  
  
"You ever have a whiskey sour?" Kuon asked Yahiro, catching a lemon that Himeka tossed him.  
  
"I don't drink normally unless it's with my boss," Yahiro said, looking down at the bottle he had been handed.  
  
"Perfect starter drink," Kuon said, tossing a half a lemon at him.  
  
"Squeeze it out and put double the whiskey in the glass," Kuon said, and Yahiro complied, squeezing out the lemon into the wine glass, the citrus mixing with the small amount of wine left in the glass.  
  
"Don't listen to him, do whatever feels right," Himeka said, smirking at Kuon, who frowned and retorted.  
  
"Don't listen to her, whiskey sour is a perfectly palatable drink," he said, taking a sip of the mixture in the wine glass.  
  
Yahiro finished squeezing the lemon into the glass and poured the whiskey into it. He took a sip, gagged, and look at Kuon.  
  
"How can you drink this shit?" Yahiro said, brows furrowing as he looked at Kuon critically.  
  
"Want some more wine?" Himeka said, and Kuon turned in his chair to face her   
  
"You have any beer?" Yahiro asked, his taste buds still revolted.  
  
"Sure," Himeka said, getting up and going inside.

“Why did you come here in the first place? I thought someone like you would have gotten flowers delivered or something,” Kuon said, inhaling from the joint and passing it to Yahiro, who took it cautiously.

“I don't have breaks during the day and this was the only flower shop that was within my timeframe,” Yahiro said, feeling annoyed as he recalled his conversation with his girlfriend on the way over here. Not only was he not going to be home but he probably wouldn't even see her until the next night.

“Sucks for you,” Kuon said, taking a drag from his cigarette.

“How can you open shop at night and still turn a profit?” Yahiro asked, smirking at Kuon, who realized that it was the first facial expression the brunette had made since he had come in.

“I mostly do online orders and have them delivered at night – you know, anniversary and birthday stuff,” Kuon said, finished off his glass of whiskey sour and taking another drag.

“I'm suck a fucking idiot,” Yahiro said as Himeka came outside empty-handed.

“Bad news,” Himeka said, irritated. “ _Someone_ drank all the beer.”

“Don't blame me,” Kuon said, mock pouting as he inhaled from his cigarette.

“Go buy more beer!” Himeka said, punching him softly in the shoulder.

“Fiiine,” Kuon said exaggeratedly as he got up and walked towards the shop, entering it before swiftly exiting, breaking out into a full-speed sprint towards the convenience store down the road.

\--------------------

“I can't believe they didn't have Kirin in stock,” Kuon muttered, carrying a 12 pack case of Sapporo in his left hand and 2 pounds of packaged Arare in a plastic bag in his right.

“Where's the customer?” Kuon asked as he entered the outside area, Yahiro missing.

“I thought he might like to look at your spare room,” Himeka said, grinning at him devilishly.

“Why?” Kuon moaned exasperatedly, setting down the refreshments grabbing the joint out of his sister's hand.

“Oh, you know... if you want him living with you,” Himeka said, taking a sip from her wine glass.

“Are you insane? Do you know how hot he is?” Kuon whispered pointedly, inhaling smoke from the joint deeply.

“He's great. What's wrong with him?” Himeka asked, taking a drag from the joint as Kuon passed it to her.

“Look, I know you're trying to set me up with him, but he's straight – he has a girlfriend!” Kuon said, pulling a beer from the pack and opening it.

“For now,” Himeka said as Kuon took a gulp of the beer.

“Fucking Sapporo,” Kuon said, turning to look as Yahiro as he exited the store.

“I'll have to talk with my girlfriend but I think I'm going to take it,” Yahiro said, smiling slightly, and Kuon sighed, taking another large gulp of beer.

“Want a beer?” Kuon asked, pulling out a beer and tossing it towards Yahiro before he could respond. Yahiro caught it so quickly that Kuon took notice, the movement indicating strong muscles even though they weren't apparent under his soft skin.

Kuon looked away and blushed slightly as Yahiro opened the beer, taking a sip.

“So... what's your sexuality?” Himeka asked, and Kuon gagged on his drink, blushing and glaring at Himeka, who returned a smug look.

“I'd say I'm not straight but I'm definitely not gay,” Yahiro said plainly, smiling at Himeka. “Why do you ask?”

“Just a good way to get to know someone. For instance, I'm bisexual and Kuon here is straight-up gay,” Himeka said, smiling back at him, and Kuon blushed even more, covering his face with his hands.

“You're right, it is nice to be open about something like that,” Yahiro said, taking another sip from the beer and smiling to himself.

“What do you like to do for hobbies?” Himeka asked, setting down her glass and reaching towards Kuon grab two cans of beer.

“Yeah, her job made her an alcoholic,” Kuon said, finally regaining his composure.

“I fucking hate wine,” Himeka groaned, opening a can and chugging a third of it.

“What got you into the sommelier business?” Yahiro asked, taking a small sip of his beer.

“Technically she's a salesman, not a sommelier,” Kuon said sarcastically, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it.

“Don't be a dick!” Himeka said, flipping Kuon off. “I sell wine to restaurants and bars. I used to like wine, but now it tastes so bad it makes me want to be sober.”

“Non sequitur, but what makes you interested in renting a room in my apartment?” Kuon asked, taking a long drag from his cigarette.

“I live kind of far and it's inconvenient to spend two hours getting to work each way,” Yahiro responded, making Kuon restrain himself from blushing as he smiled at the salaryman. “This way I can stay here during the week and go home during the weekend.”

“O-okay,” Kuon said nervously, taking a gulp of his beer.

“To your new roommate!” Himeka said, grinning and raising her open beer.

“Wait, you don't live here?” Yahiro asked, looking over at Kuon.

“No, I have my own place. Wouldn't want to hear all that-”

“Music, all that music that I play,” Kuon said, blushing.

“Either way, it's nice to live closer to where I work,” Yahiro said, yawning and setting his beer down.

“I think I'm ready to fall asleep. I guess I'll see you in the morning?” he said, looking at Kuon quickly before walking inside and up into the unused pre-prepared bedroom.

When Yahiro was out of sight, Kuon grabbed the can that had been set down and finished it, trying to conceal his mouth as he licked the rest of the can.

“I saw you lick his beer can, you dirty perv,” Himeka said, smiling at him. “I think you have a chance with him.”

“I know, he's so hot, but I can't,” Kuon said, grinding his teeth as he downed the rest of his beer can and pulled another out of the pack, opening it before setting it down and opening up a bag of Arare.

“You want some?” Kuon asked, taking a handful and passing it to Himeka.

“Do you think you'll be okay with him living here?” Himeka said, taking a sip.

“From the sounds of it, he's gone all day, so I don't think it'll be too bad,” Kuon replied, frowning. “Just annoying. He's so cuuute.”

“You just have to wait and see, don't rush it,” Himeka said, finishing her beer and crushing it. “Now go to bed before I make you drink more fucking wine.”

“Night, I guess,” Kuon said, high fiving Himeka as he brought his beer inside and dumped the rest of it in the sink.

 _He really is beautiful_ , Kuon thought.  _This is going to be torture_.

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter in 2-3 weeks at most, trying not to write super short chapters
> 
> Guess whos going to top first


End file.
